Brewers' Suppan put on 15-day DL for neck injury

• Milwaukee Brewers

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PHOENIX - Milwaukee Brewers’ right-hander Jeff Suppan will start the season on the 15-day disabled list with cervical disc pain in his neck.

He did not have any apparent problems when he threw a 90-pitch simulated game yesterday. But manager Ken Macha said the 35-year-old Suppan has been getting treatment throughout spring training for a sore neck. He gave up 21 hits including five home runs in 16-and-a-third innings this month, with a spring ERA of seven-point-seven-one in five starts. Suppan will remain in Phoenix for treatment when the Brewers head north tomorrow, to get ready for the regular season which begins on Monday.

Suppan has been competing with left-handers Chris Narveson and Manny Parra for the number-five starting job. The Brewers may not use a fifth starter until April 15th, and Suppan could return by then. Meanwhile, the move apparently allows reliever Carlos Villanueva to stay on the roster. There was speculation that he would be sent to AAA if the three starters were placed in the bullpen. That’s because Villanueva has minor league options left, while Parra and Narveson do not – and Suppan is most likely getting paid too much to be demoted, at 12-and-a-half million for this season.

The Brewers and the Los Angeles Angels played to a 1-1, 10-inning exhibition tie in Phoenix yesterday. Rickie Weeks drove home Milwaukee’s only run on a double which scored Carlos Gomez. Chris Narveson threw three scoreless innings, giving up three hits and a walk with five strikeouts. His competition for the number-five starting job, Manny Parra, tossed two scoreless frames with a hit, a walk, and a “K.” Milwaukee is now 13-13-2 in the Cactus League. They’ll play their final Arizona game this afternoon against the Chicago Cubs. Right-hander Yovani Gallardo will start for the Brew Crew.

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